EAST COUNTY HAPPENINGS

City councils

Lemon Grove, Tuesday; Santee, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

School boards

Grossmont Union High School District, 6 p.m.

Tuesday; Santee School District, 6 p.m. Tuesday

Free garden supplies for El Cajon residents

The Home Depot and the El Cajon Urban Gardening initiative are partnering to supply city residents with $20,000 worth of free plants and supplies for fruit and vegetable gardens. El Cajon residents are eligible to apply. Each single-family home will qualify for $300 in plants and supplies, and multifamily property owners may apply for $1,000 if three or more residents agree to participate. To apply, visit the Urban Roots section in the My El Cajon app, or visit elcajon.gov/urbanroots.

State of the City address in El Cajon

The public is invited to hear El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells deliver a State of the City address from 6-8 p.m. March 28 at the Courtyard Marriott El Cajon, 141 N. Magnolia Ave. Besides celebrating the city’s achievements of the past year, Wells and the City Council will recognize the Business of the Year, Impact Person of the Year, Veteran of the Year and Youth of the Year. The event will include a presentation by the El Cajon police Honor Guard and a performance by a youth choir. Call (619) 441-1716.

‘Legacy Letter’ is topic for free class

The Sharp Grossmont Hospital Senior Resource Center offers a free Legacy Letter Workshop Series from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Thursday at the Grossmont Healthcare District Conference Center, 9001 Wakarusa St., La Mesa. A legacy letter is a written gift created for friends and family, chronicling the most important aspects of your life and honoring those who made it meaningful. This workshop will offer ideas and writing tips on how to review your life. This class is the first in a four-part series; each class will offer different ideas in creating your legacy letter. Additional class dates are March 30, April 6 and April 13. Free parking. Register to (800) 827-4277 or visit sharp.com/ classes.

Lions Club Chili Cookoff a success

The Lemon Grove Lions club recently held a chili cookoff to raise money for club projects that benefit the community. The recent cookoff took in just over $1,000. The funds will help support the club’s graffiti removal project and Lemon Grove youth. The Lemon Grove Lions hope to make the cookoff a yearly event. If you are interested in competing or in joining the club, email lemongrovelions0@gmail.com.

CERT training offered online, in person

East County’s Heartland Fire & Rescue is accepting applications for the 2023 CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Basic Training academy. Coursework will be done online and in person. The Community Emergency Response Team Program educates people about preparing for a disaster and the hazards that may affect their neighborhoods or cities. These free CERT lessons will train people in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster

medical operations. Residents of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Santee are eligible to apply. Nine modules of online basic training can be taken at any time, but must be completed by March 31. At the end of the nine modules, students will take a final exam and then move on to the final Search and Rescue exercise. Learn more and find application forms at bit.ly/3xvwz3d.

Last day for ‘Attic Treasures Sale’

The ninth annual “Attic Treasures Sale” of the Alpine Woman’s Club runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Items include clothing, accessories, gift items and home decor. The sale is at the Alpine Historic Hall, 2156 Alpine Blvd. Proceeds benefit the club’s scholarships, and its preservation and education foundation. Visit alpinewomansclub.org.

El Cajon offers pickleball survey

The El Cajon Parks and Rec Department is working with students from San Diego State University to collect community input on the future of pickleball in the city. A survey is available at bit.ly/3ivxaah.

Blood drive

The San Diego Blood Bank hosts a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday 3/20 at Chick-fil-a, 9418 Mission Gorge Road, Santee. Donors will receive a free Chick-fil-a sandwich that day. Those 17 and older, weighing at least 114 pounds and in good health, may be eligible to donate. Appointments are honored first and walk-ins are welcome. Photo ID required. Call (800) 400-8251 or visit sandiegobloodbank.org.